Research House Takes Shape Largely From Recycled Material

What happens to the newspapers, glass, cans and plastics homeowners set at curbside for recycling each weeK?

The National Association of Home Builders heard that question so often it decided to see if it could build a home almost entirely from recycled materials.

The result is the Resource Conservation House, a recently completed 3,600 square-foot, two-story house at its research center in Bowie, Md.

"This house is a showcase of what's possible," says Larry Zacker, marketing director for the research center.

For example, he says, its steel frame was made largely from recycled scrap metal, including that from old cars.

Its roofing, which resembles cedar shakes, was made from recycled computer housings. Its insulation was derived from recycled newsprint, its wallboard from recycled paper and gypsum and its pipes and fittings from recycled copper.

Its decking, railings, landscape timbers and window trim are Timbrex, a wood substitute made from recycled plastic and sawdust.

Even the grass seed for the lawn was pre-mixed with mulch made from waste paper.

The recycled building materials were developed and donated by 12 manufacturers and trade groups in the housing industry, including the American Iron and Steel Institute, Arm strong World Industries, Mobil Chemical Company, the Copper Development Association and the Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association.

Zacker concedes the research house took longer to build than a conventional house because the workers were unfamiliar with many of the products and techniques.

He also admits that some problems, such as slight cracks in the dry wall, have surfaced since the house was completed late last year.

Still, he says, the four-bedroom, four-bath home -- which would cost about $220,000 to duplicate in the Washington, D.C., area -- has attracted much interest.

"We're getting a lot of calls from builders and consumers, too," he says. "It's by far the most popular house we've built."

He says free, public tour days, the second and last Friday of each month, have been very busy.

In addition to recycled materials, the house incorporates other environmentally sound practices, including using products that increase energy efficiency, require less maintenance and are made with less precious raw materials.

For example, the home has a solar-powered water heater and a heat pump that extracts heat from the earth through tubing buried 5 feet deep in the backyard.

Its windows are specially made to reduce heat loss.

The floors were designed so that adhesive was only needed around the perimeter and under seams, instead of under the entire area.

Slide-out recycling bins were built under half of the kitchen sink. The bins are designed to make recycling a more convenient habit.

The builders also recycled as much waste from the construction site as they could and whenever possible opted for products that came in reduced packaging.

The house has a steel rather than wood frame to conserve lumber, which is becoming more expensive.

Zacker says the steel-framing, which costs about the same as wood-framing, is probably the most asked about feature in the house.

The builders are waiting to see whether the steel-frame allows more heat to escape than a wood-frame, which would increase heating needs, he says.

Zacker hopes that the demonstration house -- the fourth the NAHB built in its research park in Bowie -- will speed the acceptance of recycled materials, methods and designs in home building.

"The interest in homes that contribute to a sustainable environment is growing," he says. "This project shows just how feasible it is to do that."

The other houses in the research park were built to test and demonstrate gas technologies, housing adaptations for people with disabilities and concrete masonry construction.

More information on the Resource Conservation House is available from the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, 400 Prince George's Boulevard, Upper Marlboro, Md. 20772-8731 or 301-249-4000.

Blueprints for the house cost $30. "The Resource Conservation House: Building a Sustainable Future," a video showing the house in various stages of construction is $25. "The Resource Conservation House Information Guide" contains detailed descriptions and illustrations of the house and cost $10; and the "Builder's Guide to Residential Construction Waste Management" is available for $7.